A Review of Inkjet, Microextrusion and Laser 3D Bioprinting Techniques for Tissue Engineering

Bioprinting is considered to be an emerging field that is having a revolutionary impact on the medical science. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is the process of creating spatially controlled cell patterns, in which the behaviour of biological tissues can be reproduced. Over the last few decades, cell-printing techniques are emerging as one of the most promising technologies for organising cells in 2D and 3D to form tissues and organ. This emerging biotechnology appears to be promising for advancing tissue engineering and organ fabrication for organ transplantation, drug testing, research investigations and cancer or disease modelling, and therefore, it has attracted growing interest worldwide among researchers and the general public. Recent advances in science and technology has enabled 3D printers to use biocompatible materials, cells and supporting components and construct a complex 3D functional living tissues. 3D bioprinting has already been used to generate several tissues, tracheal splints, bone, vascular grafts, multilayered skin, heart tissue and cartilaginous structures for transplantation, but the idea extends to the printing of complete, viable organs and tissues for human transplant. Bioprinted organs could significantly decrease transplant organ rejections and also increase the availability of organs for critically ill patients. There are three main techniques of 3D bioprinting: inkjet, microextrusion and laser assisted. In this review, we focus on these techniques of bioprinting and their current applications. We also highlight the cell source required for bioprinting, and briefly review its market size and economic value. We conclude with future prospect of 3D bioprinting.